Monday, 24 March 2014

Ministry of Health topples Ministry of Education to win the Public Service Star Games Chess Teams by Junior Tay

This year, the organizers introduced a TN - scheduling the event on a Sunday (23rd March 2014) instead of a Saturday. This enabled the doctors to get a full team line-up. I mean, when you can rest former National Champion NM Derrick Heng and Leong Khai Pang during a match, the team certainly looks good. Usually, some of their players had to skip rounds or the whole event altogether but this year, they came in full force.

IM Hsu Li Yang, helming top board, did not have it easy though. In round 1, NM Luke Leong from Ministry of Home Affairs upset the apple-cart by beating Li Yang from the Black side of a Maroczy Bind. The game can be found in Olimpiu Urcan's super fast update.

The rest of his team members cruised to wins, giving his team a 3-1 headstart. The same could not be said about defending champions MOE. The absence of MINDEF's top board player, Victor Huang (off to USA to do a masters degree) was more than nullified by the introduction of Tan Chor Chuan, who represented Singapore in the Elista Olympiad. He made an immediate impact with his typical hyper-aggressive chess by pummelling CM Quek Suan Shiau in the following encounter.A game that I liked

In the final round, MOH just had to avoid defeat against MINDEF and with a 2.5-1.5 effort, they got the job done. IM Hsu, however, was put to the test by Chor Chuan, by having to defend a pawn down though he could have even turned the tables on move 43 with a surprising pin. A game that I liked